Press Release: Response of Barrister Mrs. Justina Oka Obono‑Obla to Chief Ambassador Assam Assam SAN on the Offshore Oil Wells Dispute Between Akwa Ibom State and Cross River State
Barrister Mrs. Justina Oka Obono‑Obla has responded to the recent arguments advanced by Chief Ambassador Assam Assam SAN on Arise Television concerning the dispute between Akwa Ibom State and Cross River State over offshore oil wells.
She noted that Chief Assam Assam did not provide the specific coordinates he referred to, pending when the technical committee of both states would “plot the coordinates on the map,” as he suggested, before the National Boundary Commission (NBC) could make an informed decision on where the new 218 oil wells fall.
Obono‑Obla questioned the assertion that once coordinates are plotted, they remain forever. She recalled that Cross River State lost its coordinates through the Judgment of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) pursuant to the Green Tree Accord, which resulted in the loss of seventy‑six (76) oil wells to Akwa Ibom State. She emphasized that this was a case that began before the ICJ judgment but dragged on until 2005 when the Green Tree Accord came into effect, and eventually to 2012 when the Supreme Court delivered its judgment—relying on facts that were non‑existent at the time the case was filed in 1999.
She therefore questioned how “eternal and sacrosanct” coordinates could be, if remapping and boundary adjustments can tilt the scale to either side.
Conclusion
Barrister Obono‑Obla stressed that the dispute highlights the fluidity of boundary determinations and the limitations of relying solely on coordinates as permanent markers. She maintained that legal, political, and technical interventions can alter outcomes, making it clear that coordinates are not immutable. She further urged that transparency, fairness, and adherence to due process must guide the resolution of this sensitive matter, as it directly impacts the economic rights and future stability of both Cross River and Akwa Ibom States.
Signed:
Barrister Mrs. Justina Oka Obono‑Obla, Esq.
